NOTE: I've changed "spectral" to "corporeal" since that adjective used to describe the Patronus is causing confusion as to how a physically-embodied Patronus can interact with other physically-embodied forms (including its caster).
CHAPTER 8
18 July 1993 - Heir's Suite - Fortress Nott, 6:56AM
"QUIETUS."
The charmed alarm clock finally stopped its gratingly cheerful ringing, giving Heir Nott a moment of peace. A naturally early-riser, he typically wouldn't mind the bird-like trills emanating from the object.
Alas, today was not the day for such cheeriness.
Stretching his stiff limbs, Alex tiredly sat upright in his bed, rubbing soothing circles into head whilst reciting his Occludic mantras. He slowly felt the tension drain from his mind and body, sighing in relief.
A small pop announced the arrival of his house elf Pike, who bowed low before depositing a full tea set for her favorite Heir. The dutiful being had served as his and Theo's nanny elf since their births, becoming all the more dedicated when their mother had died. Though she was technically under Tiberius' command as the family's cook elf, her true loyalty lay with the Nott brothers.
"Thank you Pike."
"You're most welcome laddie!" Bowing once more, the she-elf disappeared with a soft snap of her fingers.
Alex quickly prepared himself a full cup of his favorite lavender-mint tea, pleased to see Pike had included his favorite Kurabiiki cookies. Taking a hearty bite of one, Heir Nott savored its sugary and buttery taste, immediately reminded of Viktor. His boyfriend was obsessed with the pastries and always kept a fresh batch in a charmed mini-lunchbox on his person. Alex typically would be prepping to spend the rest of his summer holiday with the Viktor, splitting their time between the Krum family estate and those of their Durmstrang friends.
Unfortunately, current circumstances - mainly of the Death Eater escapee and Dementor variety - had completely dashed those plans.
Wincing, Alex quickly filled a small saucer with some cookies and made his way to his balcony to take in the admittedly beautiful sunrise. Nature always helped quell the discomforting thoughts that took up too much mental space.
The surrounding fields were as immaculate as ever, all thanks to Wilhand's dedication. The house elf was responsible for all the groundskeeping needed to keep the impeccable visage of the ancestral manse, and he took a lot of pride in his work. It wasn't too farfetched to believe that he feared the punishment Lord Nott would inflict upon him should he fail in any of his tasks, having suffered a most vicious beating some years ago for "cutting the Quidditch lawn grass too low!" A horrified Alex (merely eleven years of age) had secretly worked with Pike to help heal Wilhand of his gruesome injuries.
And still, what the groundskeeper elf had suffered was nothing compared to what Tiberius had done to Rogo…
Alex shuddered in spite of himself, forcibly banishing those memories away. The poor valet elf still carried that unsightly hump, a permanent reminder of his master's unfathomable barbarity.
But then again, Alex wasn't surprised. The brute had killed his cherished mother in cold-blood, then threatened Theo when he'd realized the boy had witnessed the act! Heir Nott had always disliked his father's propensity to drunkenness and savagery, but the seeds of hatred had blossomed into ever-growing thorns with Christina Nott's murder. It took Alex's constant Occluding to not give in to the urge to violently smite the elder Nott into an early and well-deserved grave.
Patricide would only prove Tiberius' point about Alex being "just like his old man!" (the boy frowned in disgust), and would automatically lead to his disinheritance and likely imprisonment in Azkaban.
Like any good Boyar worthy of his house, he wouldn't readily forsake his potential seat of power and influence by succumbing to his desire for vengeance - justified or otherwise.
Sipping on his still warm tea, Heir Nott racked his brain on strategies to contravene the Unbreakable Vow Lord Nott had made him swear some weeks prior. The older wizard had randomly (and rather urgently) requested the Notice-Me-Not ring for 'personal needs', but Alex had been unable to produce the heirloom. The two had argued for some time, with Tiberius believing his heir had foolishly lost the artifact. Eventually, Alex had admitted that he'd given those items - along with a few others - to Theo for protection whilst in Hogwarts.
To say Tiberius had been furious was an understatement, but he'd thankfully refrained from physical retaliation whilst screaming his head off. His father was of the belief that his son was well-versed in lethal militaristic magic and combat techniques, the main reason he'd sent him to Durmstrang in the first place. Alex was not about to disabuse him of that notion, relying on his school's reputation to seal the deal.
Granted, Alex did possess some unique tactical knowledge, but that was par on course for any Durmstrang student, regardless of House.
Regardless, the two had finally reached a compromise; Theo would get to keep the items indefinitely and that he'd leave Theo alone, never physically, magically, or legally harming his little brother ever again. Part of him wished he could have forced Tiberius to agree to such a vow earlier, sparing Theo so much of the hate and trauma he'd had to endure in his short life. Though he knew his little brother would never blame him for Tiberius' loathsome actions, Alex still carried a lot of guilt over not being able to curb Lord Nott's misplaced wrath.
In exchange of Tiberius' magically-binding promises, Alex had sworn a reciprocal vow to never reveal any of House Nott's secrets, and, strangely enough, swear allegiance to the Dark Lord and become a Death Eater should he ever return bodily.
At that time, Alex had believed the ask to be as bizarre as it was absurd; the Dark Lord had been vanquished for years, and dead was dead. If there were any necromantic rituals that could bring the madman back to life, Alex was confident in his belief that Tiberius was too much of an oaf to either know of them or know how to perform them. 'Always brawn over brain.' Heir Nott snorted contemptuously into his teacup, for once grateful for his father's physical strength in lieu of mental capability.
Still, recent events still nagged at…something in Alex's mind. It didn't escape his notice that his father had requested the ring exactly one week before the Azkaban breakout. While his father wasn't nearly smart enough to mastermind the logistics of a maximum security prison jailbreak, he was stupid enough to go along as the muscle. That, coupled with the Unbreakable Vow…the coincidence was too great for Alex to ignore.
With a sigh, Heir Nott languished around for a few more minutes as he finished his tea and the rest of the cookies. Banishing the entire set, he went back into his room to get ready for the day, hoping the recent nonsense with Father was well and done with.
If only he'd known how wrong he was.
Training Room, 1:57PM
Panting, Theo allowed the Patronus Spell to lapse as he fought to catch his breath. He gratefully accepted the glass of ice-cold water Alex presented him, pleased to see the look of pride on his elder brother's face.
The younger Nott had admittedly been a touch put out at having to leave Malfoy Manor, but getting to spend one-on-one time more than made up for it. He adored and idolized Alexander without reservation, one of the few comforts he'd known during his entire Merlin-forsaken childhood. He'd been surprised that Alex was in England; the boy typically spent July and August with his mates, usually spending June with Theo and shielding him from the worst of Tiberius' wrath.
Oddly enough, Tiberius had made himself scarce since Theo's, content to spend time between his personal study, private billiards room, and out and about doing Merlin-knew-what. The younger Nott secretly hoped that his father crossed paths with a rogue Dementor and had his blackened soul Kissed right out of his body.
'Bastard.'
"That was excellent showing Theo, well done. It's incredibly difficult to maintain a non-corporeal mist, especially for one that's so large. You held that for almost a minute. A few more tries, and we should have a corporeal form."
"Thanks! Harry taught me the basics from what he'd learned in Lockhart's Team Protector class. A bit ironic really, considering the man turned out to be some mastermind Death Eater. Anyway, Lord Malfoy went over the basics with me and Draco, said that he didn't want us unprepared when we had to go back to Hogwarts." He shivered in spite of himself, causing Alex to tut and wrap him in a protective embrace that Theo gratefully leaned into.
Heir Nott had been appalled to discover that the odious creatures would be in such close vicinity to school children, once more marveling at the sheer depths of Minister Fudge's idiocy. Just one of those foul wraiths was bad enough; an entire horde given autonomy to 'hunt' prison escapees would spell nothing but disaster.
"Well, that's what I'm here for! We'll go through some training drills as well to help boost your stamina and endurance. Though I can say you've improved considerably since last summer." Theo posed imperiously, causing Alex to chortle.
"Lockhart and Malfoy again; the former moreso than the latter. He had a group of us who didn't qualify for the research teams doing physical fitness, conditioning, and self-defense. At 7:00 A.M. in the morning too." Theo grimaced, still in disbelief that he'd been able to pull it off. But he was pleased to see the positive effects on his health, in both body and mind. By his side Alex was internally impressed, the regimen quite similar to the mandatory fitness drills at Durmstrang.
"Well, I daresay they've paid off little brother." He clapped a beaming Theo on the shoulder. "Let's run the drill one more time."
He stepped back and raised his wand, before softly incanting "EXPECTO PATRONUM." The brilliant form of his bloodhound protector - Dobrynya - bounded out of his beech wand, eagerly sniffing around the room for danger. Finding none, he trotted his way to his master to stand dutifully by his side.
He nodded encouragingly at Theo, who took a deep breath and centered his thoughts as he brought forth the happiest memories he possessed. There weren't many, but the times spent with his brother and his recent years at Hogwarts would hopefully make up for it.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
After almost two more hours of training, the brothers retired to a bench for a break. Pike provided a bevy of delicious Bulgarian-themed snacks and a large pitcher of ice-cold water.
The two brothers chatted about the current Quidditch season, before Alex quickly cast a bevy of impenetrable privacy charms before turning to address his confused brother.
Theo stared as the older boy reached into his shirt pocket, slowly retrieving a gleaming silver locket on a long chain. He opened the locket and stared fondly at whatever was within it, before surprising Theo by taking his hand and gently pressing the necklace into it.
"What is this for?" asked the younger Nott curiously.
"Open it."
A touch nervous, Theo slowly opened the locket, gasping at what he found. It was a magical picture of their mother, who smiled warmly at her son as she gently waved at him.
"Mum…how?!"
Alex smiled. "I had a separate frame created for her, linking the portrait in your room to it. I wanted you to have a piece of her with you, always. Should her primary frame ever be compromised, you can rest assured that she will be safe from harm. The metal is goblin silver overlaid with mithril, so it's impervious to any damage - spell or otherwise. It's been charmed to the hilt with a bevy of anti-theft and anti-summoning charms, so you'll never have to worry about it being stolen. I had it keyed to your magical signature, so should you forget it anywhere, a simple whisper of 'Ubi cor est' will bring it back to you. It becomes invisible when you put it on, so it's undetectable by others."
Theo blinked in sheer amazement at the thoughtfulness of his brother's gift, impressed by its complexity. Without any hesitation he slipped the necklace on, before embracing Alex in a tight bear hug as he tearfully thanked him. Theo hadn't wept like a child since that fateful day with Harry Potter in the Mirror of Erised room, but he did so now.
Gently rocking his brother, Heir Nott whispered soothingly: "Anything for you Theo. I know your birthday was a few weeks ago, but the locket was completed just last week. You should also know that this gift is from me as your brother Alex, and not me in my stead as Alexander Heir Nott. Prevents Father from getting any of his moronic ideas." He sneered in spite of himself, causing Theo to snort. He was grateful for that.
"There's one more thing." Theo's eyes widened, wondering what could've brought all this on. He watched as Alex reached into his shirt pocket and retrieved another piece of jewelry.
It was an impossibly slim ring, a nigh imperceptible shard of glimmering silver. He instructed Theo to slip it on his right pinky.
"Emergency portkey, same material as the locket," Alex explained quietly. "It can be used for three separate trips before the magic nullifies. All you'll need to do is whisper your intended destination and it will take you there."
"But… how? I thought Portkeys were only good for a one-time trip?" He stared in awe at the object now adorning his finger.
"Most Porkeys are, yes. But this is called a triptik, a triple loci Portkey with its locational targets linked to three separate destinations, able to penetrate all known Anti-Portkey wards. They were used by the bölük - the Sultan's bodyguard corps - in the 15th century, composed entirely of Ottoman Magical Janissaries. Should the Sultan be ambushed in any capacity, the senior commander of the bölük - the yüksek komutan - would utilize the triptik to escape with the Sultan, using the first two destinations to lose the attackers. They've been outlawed almost everywhere save small parts of magical North Africa and Western Asia. Fortunately, I know some people…who know some other people…who know a few other people that could procure this for me."
"And you're giving it to me?! Are you sure you don't want it?!"
"I'm not the one who'll be attending school with a Dementor horde little brother. You'll need it more than I. I'll be fine, trust me." HIs expression became unreadable for less than a second, so fast Theo wondered if he'd imagined it.
"Is…is everything alright Alex? Is there something you want to tell me?"
His brother only smiled in a curiously forlorn way, before pulling him into a gentle embrace.
"Nothing at all brother mine, nothing at all."
Dining Hall, 7:51PM
Dessert plates soon arrived, with both Nott brothers internally relieved that supper was almost over.
Any time spent in Tiberius' company was excruciating at best, having to listen to the oaf gracelessly inhale his meal, brag about his billiards successes, so-called 'good-fortune' at gambling, reminisce on his game-hunting days, and drop all sorts of uncouth insults regarding mudbloods and blood-traitors alike.
Like any jock past his prime, the man would also boast about his athletic prowess, preening at his own self-aggrandizement. While a layer of noticeable fat covered his frame, Tiberius was no slouch at almost six-and-a-half feet of brute strength.
Theo's many scars could attest to that.
Slurping the last of his wine, Lord Nott eagerly clapped his hands and pulled the cover of his dessert. Alex immediately noticed the oddness of the dessert plate being covered in the first place but did not comment on it.
"Triple strawberry tart with key lime ice-cream, my favorite!" He grabbed his spoon and eagerly dug in. Taking that as their signal, his sons removed the covers from their plates.
Alex's plate had a large serving of tart and ice-cream.
Theo's did not.
Instead, there was a silver ring, a brass monocle, two books, and several other minor magical trinkets – in short, everything that Alex had entrusted to his little brother and that the boy had kept hidden in the secret compartment of his trunk. Heir Nott's expression tightened for a fraction of a second, before his Occlumency smoothed his face into a blank mask. Theo merely blinked, before calmly and quietly setting aside the cover as he slowly sipped at his water.
For several seconds, the room was silent save for Lord Nott's moaning and loud savoring of his treat.
"How are your just desserts boys?" Tiberius finally inquired in a cold voice. Neither responded, though Alex's wand slipped into his tight grip. Pike noticed, but made no move to stop it.
Lord Nott deserved every hex his Heir could lobby his way, many times over.
Theo leaned back in his chair and looked his father squarely in the eye. For a second, the boy expected some kind of Legilimency attack, but alas, nothing came. As he'd long suspected, Tiberius had never had the patience or self-control to learn the most subtle art. Indeed, Theo suspected that Tiberius didn't even know any Occlumency beyond the bare minimum he'd needed to conceal his status as a Death Eater, if that. He reckoned the man relied on his stature and strength to intimidate others from refraining to ask him anything, least of all about his status as a murderous terrorist.
"A little chunky, but nothing I can't stomach, Father." Alex allowed himself a moment of pride at Theo's bravery, but that soon slipped at Father's laugh. It was entirely too boisterous, too gleeful, and the boy felt his hackles rise on instinct.
"Ah, there's that Fenwick wit I love so much." A haze of red filled Alex's vision at the mention of his deceased mother, and with a deep quiet breath, he beat it back. "You see, those items on your plate are those I specifically gave to Alexander here, with the express instruction to neither misuse nor mishandle them."
"I didn't realize that giving these to my brother for his protection constituted any aspect of misuse or mishandling, at least not pursuant to our House Charter or that of the Wizengamot, Father."
Tiberius smiled. "Definitions of misuse and mishandling of artifacts all within my purview. You are my Heir Apparent Alexander, and the law bars me from properly punishing you for all but the most serious of infractions. But defying a direct order not to mishandle family heirlooms?! That is something for which the law would allow me to properly chastise you for disobedience despite the protections of your Heirship. And I could chastise you much more… harshly for defying me in this manner. Theodore here has certainly experienced such chastisement in the past when his misdeeds have forced me to take up my fatherly duties. I wonder which made a greater impression? The lash? Or the cane?"
That same red haze bled into Alex's vision, and he was having a harder time beating it back. He'd been able to stave off his father a few times with a well-aimed and undetectable Confundus, but there were many times Tiberius had evaded him.
He wondered if he would succeed today.
Theo took another languid sip of his water, pleased his Occlumency presented the mask of perfect calm. "Speaking hypothetically, what would you do if I said it wasn't Alex but me? If it turns out that I stole these heirlooms without Alex's knowledge and that he is guilty only of lying to you about giving them to me to protect me? Because he feared your… gross overreaction? What sort of punishment would I receive? Hypothetically, that is."
"Theo, what are you doing?" His brother turned and just smiled, in the same sad and forlorn way Alex realized he'd done earlier.
"It's alright brother, Father seeks the truth after all."
Alex growled. 'Theo you idiot, stop trying to protect me!'
The man's smile broadened into a grin. "If you were to confess, Theodore? Why in that case, your punishment would be ... nothing at all." He paused. "Well, certainly nothing physical at least."
That gave Alexander pause. He knew that due the Vow father couldn't physically harm Theo, but the purposeful vagueness of the man's suggestion, given in that oily coy manner, made the hairs on Alex's hairs stand on end.
"And what do you mean by that, Father?"
"You see, stealing family heirlooms is a crime serious enough to permit me to do what I've wanted to do for a long, long time – kick you out of this family for good."
"What are you talking about? You could have disinherited me any time you wanted!"
"Disinheritance is not enough, you little shit!" the vile man spat. "When I die, Alexander here will claim the Lordship, and he would have the power to… reinstate you." He sneered viciously at the possibility. "I want you gone forever. And if you were to ... confess to the crime of stealing heirlooms, I would have the right to expel you in a manner that no future Lord Nott could undo. You would cease to be Theodore Nott and instead would become ... Theodore No-Name, at least until you could persuade some other foolish wizard or witch to adopt you into their family. Or perhaps you could persuade someone with a respectable background to marry you. That Mudblood you're so enamored with, perhaps. Either way, it would be of no concern to me."
"WHAT?!" bellowed Alex, jumping out of his chair. Everyone froze at the table, though Tiberius' expression became more noticeably vicious. "Theodore No-Name?! You would use the Ultimate Sanction against your own son?! Your own flesh and blood?! Are you FUCKING mad?! You promised no harm would come to Theo! You swore me an Unbreakable Vow you are attempting to contravene this very second! ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?!" He was shaking in his rage, his wand gripped so tightly it was a miracle it hadn't snapped in half.
Theo blinked in surprise at that last tidbit. 'Alex got Father to swear an Unbreakable Vow not to harm me? Wow…impressive.'
"Keep a civil tongue in your head, boy. You may be my Heir but I am still Lord and Master of this House and home. I may have allowed you certain freedoms, but do not ever think that gives you the right to stand to me as if we are equals of any sort. Sit. Down." Alex fumed for three whole seconds, mentally cataloging a list of particular spells so Dark it would have given a Black Wolf pause. "And per my initial Vow, I swore not to harm Theodore Nott. Not Theodore No-Name."
"You sonofabitch," hissed Alex viciously. Tiberius' eyes flashed in anger.
"That tongue will be cut from your mouth, boy, should the next words be another insult against your liege lord. I won't ask you again. Sit. Down. Now."
"Alex," said Theo quietly. "It's alright, please sit down."
It took a few seconds of Heir Nott furiously ticking his jaw whilst Tiberius glared in increasing anger, but eventually, Alexander rigidly sat back down.
Sighing, Theo turned to his wretched sire. "If I confess as you want, what's to stop you from having me arrested and prosecuted?"
"The legal process that will see you stripped of your name – Sanctumen Ultimo is its formal name – is considered a punishment that trumps all others where the old houses are concerned." Tiberius paused to take a bite of his pie, moaning in affected delight. Pike fought not to roll her eyes. "But if you wish, I will also swear an Unbreakable Vow to the both of you that I will never seek legal redress against you for anything you may have done before today." He had the gall to wink cheekily, and it took every bit of restraint Alex had to not jump across the table and stab his wand through the offending orb.
"And what about anything I do after today? Once I become Theodore No-Name?"
"As I said, I will swear another Unbreakable Vow to not harm you after the fact."
"And what if I were to confess?" interjected Alex. "That I was the one who willingly gave Theo the heirlooms for his personal use and protection? Disobeying your 'order' not to mishandle or misuse the heirlooms?" The accusation of misuse and mishandling was a crock of shite, but Tiberius had always been full of it.
"Well then I would have to punish you my boy. I do hope that all my old equipment is in good working order. It hasn't seen use since ... since I was under the Imperius and the Dark Lord forced me to torture Mudbloods and blood traitors. Against my will, as you know." Alexander growled but did not respond, knowing Father would easily follow through on this threat to cut out his tongue.
Some moments passed in tense silence as both brothers weighed their options. Alex ran many scenarios through his mind on how to evade Father's admittedly clever trap (and how he loathed to concede to that point), but he could find no path that wouldn't result in the brothers' mutual demise. If he confessed, Tiberius would unleash a world of brutal violence against him, and Heir Nott would be powerless to stop it, if he was lucky to survive and end up in a long-term coma.
As for Theo, his mind was already made up. Alex had done so much for him and he would never allow his brother to fall to harm, least of all by Tiberius' hand.
"I want to know what the Vow would say before I agree to anything. That and what you want me to say in my ... confession."
"Theo, please." Alex looked stricken, but Theo just smiled and reached over the table to grasp his brother's hand as he mouthed that he'd be okay.
Oozing smugness, Tiberius reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out two rolls of parchment. "As it just so happens, I have the very items right here. Rogo!" A soft pop announced his valet elf, who was unable to even raise his head to make eye contact due to the massive hump on his back. "Please have my solicitor Mortimer Renwick join us."
9:12PM
Theo walked out the front door lugging a battered old trunk behind him, barely halfway filled with the meager belongings and school supplies Tiberius had 'allowed' him to keep. He was grateful for the spare miniaturized trunk Alex had discreetly slipped into his inner robes pocket, filled with backup dress robes, casual clothing, piles of underwear, and winter wear. The older boy had also slipped a small charmed satchel of healing potions into his brother's shirt, using a modified Sticking Charm to ensure it wouldn't budge.
He'd then hugged the younger boy tightly, whispering tearful apologies into his ear. Theo had hugged him back just as fiercely, tearfully promising his brother that they would be reunited soon.
Still in overprotective mode, Alex had applied his personal stash of dittany onto Theo's bloodied arm, bearing the cuts inflicted by the Blood Quill he'd used to write his false confession. He'd re-wrapped the healed wound with the same bloody gauze, lest Tiberius got suspicious. Pike had sniffled pitifully beside both boys, barely resisting the urge to bawl as the brothers had hugged her and insisted that she was not to blame for anything.
Tiberius, sensibly, had left the brothers alone. Alexander was grateful, because that powerful urge to commit patricide pounded through his veins, and he would have been powerless to stop it.
Reaching the front lawn, Theo stopped short and took in the scene. All of his clothing and personal possessions except for what was now in his trunk was in a big pile in the courtyard in front of the house. The picture of Theo's late mother that had hung in his bedroom was perched on top so both brothers could see her sad face, but to Lord Nott's surprise, the subject was nowhere to be found. He'd initially cursed the frame so that she couldn't travel to any other frames within the manse, so that definitely couldn't have been it. Still, her time was long overdue.
Tiberius stood next to the pile, smirking contemptuously at both his sons, he aimed his wand at the empty portrait. "INCENDIO ." As most of the boy's worldly possessions went up in flames, Tiberius sauntered over to him before aiming his wand at the trunk and shrinking it down to pocket size. Theo bent down to pick up the trunk before pocketing it.
"Consider that the last favor I'll ever do for you, Theo No-Name." He sneered before coming to stand directly between the two brothers, his tall frame preventing them from seeing each other.
"And, ironically, also the first. I don't suppose transportation to ... anywhere other than here is in the cards?"
Tiberius reached into a pocket and flipped a galleon to him. "You're still a wizard, boy. Once you're outside the wards and on the main road, you can call the Knight Bus. I did let you keep your wand after all."
Theo turned and looked down the cobblestone driveway, a thin path of stone bordered by dense forest foliage that rose to form a thick green canopy over the entryway. It was about a quarter-mile to the massive archway that marked the entrance to Fortress Nott, which required a password and a three-second wait before entrance (or exit) could be granted. The entire perimeter proper was bordered by a massive thirty-foot tall stone moat surrounded by giant trees, all part of the large forest that surrounded the ancient manse.
It was intimidating at best in the light of day.
At night, it seemed impossibly herculean.
"Well, you'd better hop to it," Tiberius said snidely. "It's a long walk to the main road after all. It's good that you've taken up physical exercise... like a good little Muggle-lover, I suppose." He turned and walked up the steps towards the front door where a silently fuming Alexander awaited him. With his father's back turned, Theo pointed his wand at his eyes and whispered 'OCULUS NOCTEM', relieved to see his sight adjust to the darkness of the night as he could see everything in crystal clarity.
But then, the former Death Eater turned and called out to his former son.
"Wait!" Theo turned back towards his wretched sire. "Whatever else I am, Theodore No-Name, I am a Nott, and we come from a long line of sportsmen and hunters. It would be unsportsmanlike of me to simply let you leave without advising you of two details. First, I swore an oath that I would never intentionally try to hurt you. Now that you are disowned pursuant to the rite of Sanctumen Ultimo, I no longer need to hurt you intentionally. Your future suffering is assured ... by operation of law."
Theo stared at the man but refused to give him any satisfaction by asking for any further explanation. He supposed he'd find out soon enough what Tiberius meant. "And the other thing?"
Tiberius smiled like a predator. "It does not contravene my oath never to intentionally hurt you if I simply remove my protection from you and allow events to take their natural course. You are no longer welcome in my home, Theodore No-Name. And Fortress Nott has ways of dealing with intruders."
In a flash he whipped around to Alex, who didn't have enough time to react as Tiberius pointed his wand at his son's face and cried "IMPERIO PATERS!"
Alexander froze for some seconds as his expression contorted, trying to fight off the modified Unforgivable that drew on the blood bonds between sire and scion.
He failed.
With eyes widened in horror, Theo could only watch as Tiberius gleefully whispered instructions into Alexander's ears, who nodded once with glassy eyes. The younger Nott morbidly watched as his brother slashed at his palms and pointed them upwards in offering.
The younger ex-Nott stared towards the direction of the five statue guards of the ancestor battle mages that stood guard at strategic points over the moat.
Theo's horror compounded when he heard Alexander start to chant in gravelly Latin:
"Surge, sanguinem meum sanguinem,
Tua heredis indiget vobis!
Surge, sanguinem meum sanguinem,
Tua heredis indiget vobis!
Surge, sanguinem meum sanguinem,
Tua heredis indiget vobis!
Peregrinus ambulat en terram nostram,
et minatur nostra salus!
Rogo te sicut heredis -
Arma haurite et domum nostram defende!
HOC AD ARMA VOCATIO!
Fiat sanguinem suum descendit tua ferrum!
Fiat sagittis perforare cor eius!
Fiat tibi manus petunt tua libram carnem!
Expurgate eum de terris nostris!
Per vincula sanguinis nostri -
HANC DOMUM DEFENDE!
HANC TERRAM DEFENDE!
HEREDEM TUUM DEFENDE!"
A deafening 'CRACK!' reverberated through the night as the five warrior statues slowly shook off their slumber and came to life.
Lelantos, the Aerial Archer and Master of Fenthras - Wrathbow of the Feywild.
Cocidius, the Mage-Wielder of Gáe Buidhe and Gáe Dearg - Spearslayers of the Undead.
Britomartis, the sole Mortal Keeper of Mythcarver - the median aspect of Æsahættr.
Jaecar, the Mighty Bearer of the Titanstone Knuckles - the earth-breaker gauntlets.
Apollinaris, the founding Lord of House Nott and Battle Mage Bearer of Aspisægera - the Impregnable Mars Shield.
As one, their obsidian stone eyes honed in on Theo, flashing with the promise of his assured destruction.
For the briefest of moments, the young wizard had a flash of hope that the weapons the statues bore were stone facsimiles, and therefore couldn't cause much damage.
But then, his late mother's warnings regarding the blood rites to create the statues rattled through the ex-Nott's mind.
That, coupled with the sharp 'WHIZZ!' of a blackened arrow Lelantos released in his direction, forcing him to swear and duck.
Taking that as his cue to leave, Theodore sped off towards the nearest treeline.
9:54PM
Panting against a hollowed out tree trunk, Theo struggled to catch his breath while gauging his progress. He'd been on the run for almost twenty minutes, and he was quite aware that the current state of affairs could not persist. He needed to get to the archway without getting maimed or killed.
'Easier said than done,' he thought sardonically.
The young wizard had succeeded in temporarily incapacitating Cocidius by replacing his spears with the high branches of a tree, before trapping him in an overpowered Quicksand Spell. He mentally thanked Hermione Granger and Lily Evans; the former for her precociousness in teaching their study group the Switching Spell, and the latter for her demonstration with Lockhart.
He was loath to thank his ex-DADA Professor, considering the man had turned out to be a Death Eater.
Still, Alarte Ascendare had done an excellent job of launching Britomartis deep into the forest behind the manorhouse proper, putting much needed distance between them. She was an exceptionally capable swordswoman, and Theo had almost lost his head twice over. While he knew enough fencing techniques to perform the necessary evasion maneuvers, he was completely lacking in the skill to successfully counter her attacks.
Unfortunately, Theo knew their incapacitation wouldn't last forever, and that the two animated avatars would eventually find him. He still had to tend to Jaecar, Apollinaris, and Lelantos, who were currently trying to flank and overpower him. His ex-House's founder guarded the archway, magically expanding his mighty shield to block Theo's only feasible exit. Lelantos was near impossible to track, shooting arrows astride a broomstick.
'Probably had it hiding up his arse.' He snorted contemptuously, doing his best to keep his voice quiet. Exhaustion was starting to creep in, but he couldn't afford to succumb. He made to move to the next crop of trees near the archway, before freezing at the sensation of the ground rumbling as someone approached.
It was Jaecar, Titanstone Knuckles glowing on his closed fits. The man was a behemoth, the tallest, broadest, and strongest of the five. Obsidian eyes zeroed in on a terrified Theo, before roaring in anger as he slammed his crackling fists hard against the ground.
The earth cracked, fissures forming and racing towards the wizard as the earth started to split in two. Swearing, Theo broke into a dead run in the direction of the archway. He felt more than saw the ground behind him splitting into, and chancing a look behind him, he saw the goliath ambling after him, Knuckles crackling with bits of electrical energy. Racking his brain for a means to slow his would-be killer down, Theo finally arrived at an idea.
Turning his head to properly aim his wand, Theo cried "AQUA ERUCTO! BAUBILLIOUS!", pleased to see his spells hit true. The rush of water slammed into Jaecar's body proper, before the Electricity Spell followed.
The effect was instantaneous as the giant man screamed in agony, the effect compounded by the magic of his knuckles that amplified Theo's magic. Jaecar crumpled to the ground as he continued screaming.
"YES!" cried Theo, before having to swear as Lelantos launched a fresh volley of arrows his way. He'd soon learned that Fenthras never missed, having to rely on ducking and dodging with aid of Immobulus. He missed two, one lodging into his shoulder as the other lodged into his upper leg.
A pained and burning sensation raced through the appendages, causing the boy to hiss. 'Of course they're poisoned, of course!' Taking cover behind a massive tree trunk, Theo shakingly reached into the potions satchel Alex had given him, grateful to see antivenom amongst their number. He downed one phial along with a standard healing elixir, pleased to feel their effects. Gritting his teeth, Theo focused his dwindling magic on the arrows as he whispered 'EVANESCO', sighing in relief when they disappeared. He quickly applied a few drops of Murtlap Essence to the wounds, relieved to see them close and heal. He downed a phial of Pepper-Up, readying himself to race to the archway.
He ran all of three feet before having to duck and dodge as Britomartis reappeared and engaged him with full intent on a beheading.
Remembering Lord Malfoy's sparring lessons, a panting Theo riposted as quickly as possible, making use of overhanded appels to distract her as best he could. The fearsome witch was too clever and frankly too fast to fall for a feint, and Theo didn't want to risk losing his wand arm should he try and fail to counter in such a manner.
Seeing a brief opening, Theo struck.
"VENTUS!" he bellowed, making sure to emphasize the second syllable over the first. Tornado-force winds slammed into the startled swordswoman, thrusting her deeper into the forest. Theo sank to his knees as he struggled to catch his breath, hoping the witch slammed hard enough into a tree to knock her unconscious.
Looking up, he realized he was less than twenty feet away from the archway. While Apollinaris' shield blocked most of the entrance, there was a small enough space between the object and the doorway that Theo could squeeze through. He would have barely enough time to give the password before hightailing it out of there, and he was hopeful that it would be enough.
Steeling himself, the young wizard dropped into a crouch before racing to the opening.
'I can almost make it!' He could feel adrenaline pumping to get him closer to the finish line.
A flash of air saw Apollinaris' forearm swing and slam hard into Theo, who was sent reeling back down the cobblestone path. The boy coughed and sputtered at the throbbing pain in his chest as he struggled to breath past his cracked ribs. His head had thwacked painfully against the stones, and he was certain he had a concussion as blood dribbled down his nose. He struggled into a crouched position, trying to ignore the ominous thuds of his mighty forebear's footsteps.
The sound of whizzing arrows was his only warning as two blackened arrows slammed into each leg, eliciting a scream of agony from the boy's lips. The poison of these two seemed to work faster than the others, causing the edges of his vision to blacken. Theo felt more than saw the others approach, the hunters closing in on their felled prey.
'This is it, I'm going to die.' The panic Theo thought he'd feel was nothing compared to the sadness he felt run through him.
Sadness at never seeing Alex again.
Sadness at never seeing Harry, Neville, Blaise, Hermione, Luna, Eurus, Ginny, (even Draco!) ever again.
Sadness at being cursed with an impossibly cruel father who would cast out his own son and use his other son to murder him.
Eyes nearly closed in defeat, a flash of silver stopped the boy short. It was his locket, opened to reveal the smiling visage of his mother. Years later, when Theo was well in his adult years, he'd muse that it was purely Fate's doing that his impenetrable necklace had cracked open to show Christina Fenwick's face.
Although her eyes held deep sadness at seeing her son's state, the captured essence of maternal instinct still drove the mother to comfort her baby boy.
'I love you darling,' Christina mouthed quietly. 'I know you can do it.' A tear spilled out of Theo's eyes to land directly on her visage as memories he thought he'd long lost to Tiberius' cruelty sprang to his mind.
When he was three, and mummy had sung him a sweet lullaby to help calm his fright at the loud and unending thunderstorm.
When he was four, and mummy had held him all night in her lap as they watched the snowfall from the balcony of her Lady's Parlor, making up silly mystical stories about their origin
When he was five, and mummy had treated him to a special 'mother-son' lunch at Summerisles, cooing proudly at her 'big boy' as he proudly ate his grownup meal.
The faces of his brother and his Hogwarts friends flashed through his mind's eye as well, all of the positive memories of affection and acceptance he cherished mentally flicking away as though he were watching a film.
There was only one spell for which all-encompassing happiness in the face of imminent death was appropriate.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A blinding flare of brilliant white erupted from his wand…before coalescing into a large and skeletal horse with fleshless glossy skin clinging to its gaunt form. A dragon-like head held pupil-less and milky white eyes, eyes, Theo noticed, were narrowed in anger. Wings sprouted from each wither — vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they belonged on a bat.
"Thestral," Theo whispered in awe, mouth dropping as the physically-embodied being spread its powerful wings and charged fearlessly at Apollinaris, succeeding in slamming the battle mage hard into the stone moat.
Without hesitation, the winged magical creature charged at the others, loudly bellowing a shrill and strange shriek that resembled some sort of monstrous bird, the eerie sound causing the others to retreat backwards.
Lelantos volleyed several arrows into the alien being, but to his shock, realized that they bounced right off its form! He was further shocked when the being beat its wings and flew to meet him head on, slamming its form into his own and sending the shocked archer sailing deeper into the forest.
Wasting no time, the surprisingly independent Patronus canted over to its caster and lowered its form, a silent invitation for the boy to get on. Without any hesitation, Theo crawled up its body, holding on tightly to its neck as it once more took flight, intending to go above the great archway. Screaming the password just in case, the exhausted boy gawked as they smoothly sailed over the entrance, coming to gracefully land by the road. Gently, the Thestral lowered his body and allowed Theo to slide off, rising to stand protectively in front of the boy.
With the scant vestiges of his strength, Theo slowly thrust his arm out with his wand sticking straight up in the air. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, a squeal of brakes, and a deafening horn, as a purple three-decker bus appeared from nowhere, only to abruptly freeze at the sight of the fading corporeal Thestral near the battered and bloodied form of a thirteen-year old boy.
Eschewing the standard greeting, a horrified Stan Shunpike scrambled out and all but dragged the broken form of the boy up the stairs and into the sanctuary of the bus.
With the remaining bits of consciousness he possessed, Theo shakingly handed an appalled Stan his galleon and gave him the address to Longbottom Manor.
"Bloody hell! What's your name lad?!"
His vision fading to black Theo stuttered out his name, oddly relieved that he couldn't give the last name 'Nott'.
AN 1: I went back and forth on Theo's Patronus, but ultimately decided on a Thestral. If you recall, Theo witnessed his mother's murder/death and understood its significance/reality, but was unable to completely grieve her loss because her murderer (Tiberius) went without proper punishment. I think it fits his character quite well and is and will continue to be pivotal to his character development later on.
AN 2: The five statues all bear names that mean 'hunter' is one capacity or another. Their weapons are pulled from weapons' mythology, His Dark Materials (HDM) and The Legend of Vox Machina (TLoVM). The sole exception is Aspsisægera, my own creation of 'aspis' - the shield of a Roman Hoplite soldier, and 'aegis' - for stone/shield. Overall, my lore for House Nott is that they were a great house of highly skilled &capable hunters and warriors who were critical in the invasion of Britannia, but time and growing bigotries have increased complacency and ineptitude, yielding the likes of Tiberius, Cantankerous (Sr. & Jr.), etc.
AN 3: Dobrynya is the name of a famous bogatyr Dobrynya Nikitich. Quite fitting giving Alex's romance with Viktor (a Bogatyr) and being the descendant of hunters, since bloodhounds are tracking dogs used in hunting.
AN 4: Casting-wise, I'm thinking a young-ish Henry Cavill for Alex Nott (Tudors era). Try as I might, I cannot envision Ian McShane as Tiberius; every character he's played that I like leans much more into 'cerebral and suave villain', which is the exact opposite of Tiberius Nott. I am envisioning Gerard Butler (The Vanishing/Den of Thieves) - not nearly as ripped as the 300 era, but still physically capable in that 'jock-slightly-past-his-prime' way.
AN 5: I've received quite a few spirited suggestions to make changes to the chapter, pertaining to Theo's ability to ride his Thestral Patronus. The very reason he is able to do so will tie in to the animal's status as a highly totemic magical animagus, in the same vein as a Phoenix for instance. The symbology and consequent effect will be considerably more relevant in a later chapter arc (as my first AN suggested), so it wouldn't really fit to change this chapter, or to explain why plot-wise as it would ruin a key plot-point much earlier on than needed. As such, I won't be amending the chapter. I do, however, appreciate the suggestions & feedback, and as always, am very appreciative of anyone who makes the time & effort to read my work. Thanks!